Mechanism for working pulpous material



April I, 1930., J. w. FAY

MECHANISM FOR WORKING PULPOUS MATERIAL I Int/621%)". (Lie 227$ 49,

Original Filed July 6, 1,925

. Patented Apr. 1, 1930 UNITED STATES P'ATENT' OFFICE JOSEPH WILLIAM FAY, 0F VILLA PARK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK MECHANISM FOR WORKING PULPOUS MATERIAL Application filed July 6, 1925, Serial No. 41,605. Renewed January 17, 1929.

This invention relates to improvements in mechanism for working pulpous material, and more particularly to mechanism for forming such material to constitute a homo geneous coating for cores in strand form, such as wire and the like.

Mechanisms embodying this invention are particularly well adapted for use in connection with the method of and apparatus for coating cores disclosed in the copending application of H. G. Walker, Serial No. 621,242,

filed February 26, 1923, which apparatus is adapted to attach a ribbon of pulp to a core in such manner that the pulp may be subse quently formed into a homogeneous coating for the core.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an improved mechanism for form ng pulpous material into a homogeneous coating for a core, by continuously engaging the pulp throughout the forming operation.

, In order to attain this object in accordance with the general features of the invention there is provided in one embodiment thereof a rotatable head which has attached thereto a member resembling in form an open or ship auger having a centrally located longitudinal opening of gradually decreasing diameter through which a core and its attached pulp is advanced during the rapidrotation of the head. The auger-like member is provided with a substantially non-frictional helical surface which constantly engages the pulp as it is formed around the core.

Other features of the invention will become apparent in the following detail description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a forming mechanism embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof showing the formation of a pulp coating on a core;

Figs. 8 and 4 are enlarged sectional views illustrating the manner in which the pulp is applied to the core before it is delivered to the forming mechanism, and

Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged sectional views showing the formation of a pulp coating during and after the forming operation, respectively.

The forming mechanism herein shown and described is especially adapted to be used in conjunction with the apparatus shown and described in the aforementioned patent application, which apparatus is adapted to apply pulpous material to a core and comprises riefly a foraminous member and a pair of felt covered squeezing rolls. In the operation of this apparatus the core is first brought into contact with pulpous material deposited upon the foraminous member and then an additional amount of pulpous material is deposited upon the core as it is carried by the foraminous member. The pulp so deposited and the core are then brought into contact with one of the felt covered squeezing rolls which cooperates with the foraminous member to squeeze out the free liquid in the pulpous material. The partially dried pulp adheres to the felt of the squeezing rolls in the form of a ribbon with the core substantially centrally located therein, as is shown in Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawing. The core with the pulp ribbon attached thereto is then passed through the other squeezing rolls which impart to the pulpous ribbon a contour such as illustrated in Fig. 4.

A forming mechanism embodying the features of the present invention is designed to receive a core and its pulpous ribbon from the squeezing rolls and wrap the projecting edges of the ribbon around the core and around each other until the contour of the pulpous coating conforms substantially to the shape of the core. The appearance of the coating after it is first acted upon by the forming member is shown in Fig. 5, and its appearance after the forming operation is completed is shown in Fig. 6.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, 10 indicates generally a rotatable head having one of its ends 11 threaded into a sleeve 12 (F? g. 2), which sleeve is rotatably journaled in a plurality of bearings one of which is shown at 13. The sleeve 12 may be rotated by any suitable means and thus constitutes means for rotating the head 10. The head 10 and sleeve 12 are provided with central longitudinal openings'14 and 15, respectively, whereby they are adapted to accommodate a core.16 with its pulpous ribbon 17 drawn through them by any suitable means (not shown).

Formed integral with the head 10 1s an open auger-like forming member 18 which comprises a plurality of interconnected helical portions 19, 19 having central openings 1n axial alignment and cooperating to form a continuous passage through which the core and its attached ribbon of pulp may be drawn. The portions 19 cooperate to form a continuous helical surface 20 which constantly engages the pulpous material on the core. The surface 20 is rounded and highly polished so that it presents substantially no friction to the pulp coating as the member 18 is rotated around the moving core and its attached ribbon of pulp.

The central openings in the helical portions 19 are of varying diameters, those helical portions at the forward end of the member 18 having larger openings than the helical portions at the opposite end thereof. Furthermore, the central openings in the helical portions adjacent to the head 10 are smaller in diameter than the diameter of the finished product. .This causes the core with its attached pulp coating to follow a tortuous path (Fig. 2) as it is advanced through the helical portions of the forming member 18, thereby insuring that the surface 20 will constantly engage the pulpous material on the core.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, it will be noted that the auger-like member 18 is so the application thereof will freely pass' around the helical portions 19 and through the head 10 instead of being forced through the central openings. Since the pulp engaging surface 20 is rounded and highly polished, substantially no friction is presented to such lumps or other abnormal thicknesses, thus insuring that the attached pulp will not be scraped from the core and that the forming mechanism will not become clogged by such lumps.

In the operation of the above described forming mechanism the core 16 together with its pulpous ribbon 17 is drawn through the auger-like member 18 and head 10 in the direction indicated by the arrow (Fig. 2) while the member 18 and head 10 are rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1. As the pulp covered core passes through the central openings of the helical portions 19, it is constantly engaged by the helical surface 20 which forms the pulp into a smooth homogeneous coating that conforms to the shape of the core, as illustrated in Fig. 6. The thickness and density of the pulp coating may be varied by changing the rotating speed of the head and the traveling speed of the core and also by changing the amount of tension applied thereon as it is drawn through the auger-like member 18.

What is claimed is:

1. In a mechanism for working pulpous material on a core, an auger-like member having a centrally located longitudinal opening through which the core and its attached pulp may be drawn.

2. In a mechanism for working pulpous material on a core, a rotable head, and an auger-like member formed integral with said head and provided with a centrally located longitudinal opening of varying diameter through which the core and its attached pulp may be drawn.

3. In a mechanism for working pulpous material on a core, an auger-like member having a centrally located longitudinal opening through which the core and its attached pulp may be drawn, the walls of said opening comprising a continuous helical surface whereby the pulpous material on the core is constantly engaged by the member during the passage of the core through the opening.

4. In a mechanism for working pulpous material on a core, a rotatable member comprising a plurality of interconnected pulp engaging portions and having a centrally located longitudinal opening of varying diameter through which the core and its attached pulp may be drawn, a section of said opening being of smaller diameter than the diameter of the finished product to cause the core to follow a tortuous path through the rotatable member thereby insuring that the attached pulp is constantly engaged by the pulp engaging portions.

5. In a mechanism for working pulpous material on a core, a forming member comprising a plurality of interconnected helical portions having openings of varying diameters through which the core and its attached pulp may be drawn.

6. In a mechanism for working pulpous material on a core, a forming member comprising a plurality of interconnected helical portions having openings of varying diameters through which the core and its attached pulp may be drawn, said helical portions being shaped so as to permit the free passage of lumps or other abnormal thicknesses in the pulpous material.

7 In a mechanism for working pulpous material on a core a forming member havin g a plurality of interconnected convolutions of progressively increasing diameter to progressively form the pulpous material into an integral, continuous and homogeneous coating therefor.

8. In a mechanism for wrapping a previously applied ribbon of pulpous material around a core, a forming member comprising a plurality of interconnected helical portions having openings of increasing diameter for wrapping the projecting edges of the pulpous ribbon around the core.

9. In a mechanism for working pulpous material on a moving core, a formlng memher having pulp engaging portions designed to direct the core through a tortuous path.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 22d day of June, A. D. 1925.

JOSEPH WILLIAM FAY. 

